Talks on the potential EU membership of Albania and North Macedonia disrupted!

BRUSSELS -- European leaders suspend talks this morning without reaching agreement on possible start of accession talks with Albania and Northern Macedonia

Talks on the potential EU membership of Albania and North Macedonia disrupted!

BRUSSELS -- European leaders suspend talks this morning without reaching agreement on possible start of accession talks with Albania and Northern Macedonia

Close the entire text of the article here

Tanjug/AP Photo/Frank Augstein

The decision was not reached despite all night long dramatic discussion, and despite the warnings that turning Tirana and Skopje away would tarnish the EU’s reputation and could risk inflaming the Western Balkans region.

Albania and North Macedonia were expecting this week to receive a green light to begin negotiations on joining European Union, the process that lasts for years. It is specially the case with Northern Macedonia that even accepted the change of country's name after reaching agreement with Greece, thus settling a long lasting dispute. EU leaders had clearly promised a decision on their future by the end of October, implying that this country should be "rewarded" with the start of accession negotiations.

The European Commission, which supervises entry talks, insists that both countries have met all the criteria.

However, French President Emmanuel Macron is refusing to allow any new countries into the EU until its enlargement procedures have been improved, while the Netherlands opposes Albania’s candidacy and disputes the commission’s assessment.